Bottled Water and Five Reasons Why You Should Give Up Drinking Bottled Water

Background
Reusing Single Use Bottles Can Be Dangerous
Bottled Water Uses Oil
Bottled Water is Expensive
Tap Water is Perfect For Drinking
Bottled Water Is Just Tap Water

Background

Over the past decade, bottled water consumption has skyrocketed in the U.S. The ironic thing is that in that same period, our tap water systems have continued to improve. So drinking bottled water isn't about safety, it's about corporations redefining what constitutes "good" water. Although drinking water is great for your health, drinking bottled water is bad for the environment and your wallet.

Here are five reasons why you should give up bottled water.

Reusing Single Use Bottles Can Be Dangerous

Disposable plastic water bottles are not meant for multiple uses. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles are fine for a single use, but reuse can lead to bacterial growth and leaching of dangerous chemicals.

Bottled Water Uses Oil

Bottled water is full of oil and energy. Making bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water requires the equivalent of more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 cars for a year. To put it another way, the entire energy costs of the lifecycle of a bottle of water is equivalent, on average, to filling up a quarter of each bottle with oil. This calculation based on 2006 demand, reports how much energy - including electric, thermal and other sources - it takes just in the production of the bottles. The figure does not include the energy required to ship, cool and recycle the bottles. (Pacific Institute)

Bottled Water is Expensive

Drinking the recommended daily amount of water using bottled water can cost an average of $1,400 per year; drinking the same amount from the tap costs around 49 cents for the year. (NY Times)

Tap Water is Perfect For Drinking

Your tap water is fine to drink. Tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water and over 90 percent of water systems meet EPA's standards for tap water quality. (If the taste or color is a little off from your tap, your pipes are probably at fault - a simple filtration system should do the trick to take both aesthetic problems away.)

Bottled Water Is Just Tap Water

At least 40 percent of bottled water is tap water anyway. That's right: you are paying a huge premium on water that you could have just gotten from your tap in the first place. (Natural Resources Defense Council) You probably like tap water more than bottled water, too!

Source: New American Dream